Marty Bufalini’s – It’s a Wonderful Life – The Radio Play

A ticket to IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE – the Radio Play will transport you back to being a 1940s studio audience member, witnessing a wartime live radio broadcast of a story that has become a Holiday classic. You’ll be comfortably seated at decorated round tables of 8 – ‘cabaret style’ – with a selection of holiday refreshments. A cash wine bar will also be on offer for evening performances on Dec 8 & 9. Lively talented singers and entertainers will keep your toes tapping and heart strings pulled as we listen to wartime and Christmas classics.

This adaptation arose when The Henry Ford Museum needed entertainment from the 1930s- 1940s era. Actor, broadcaster and playwright Marty Bufalini always loved old radio and the challenge of that type of voice acting. Like so many of us, he recognized the beloved movie version of “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE”, its popularity, and, as a consultant to The Henry Ford, rewrote the movie script as a radio show, inserting the necessary live sound effects to give listeners the “visual” cues it would need to “see” the play. It was common at that time for the studio audience to watch a radio show being broadcast, often augmented with live pre-show singing acts, entertainers like magicians and ventriloquists (yes, ventriloquists on a radio show!) and of course presenters pitching those old school commercials with great flair!

The fascination happens when the audience sees different ages and character voices coming out of one actor, the physical operation of the sound effects/foley equipment and the coordination between the actors and the sound effects – all to create the ‘theatre of the mind.’

Audience members will see and hear the full story of George Bailey’s life in Bedford Falls, watch and hear how Clarence, Angel Second Class, attempts to earn his wings and save George from a fate worse than, well… let’s just say we follow along as George shares his dreams, his anguish, falls in love, is in peril, and we all root for him to find his way out and find happiness in this wonderful life we’ve been given.

Come join us as we bring Bedford Falls alive, fight the evils of heartless Mr. Potter, keep Zuzu’s rose petals alive and wait for that bell to ring to signal that Clarence makes the grade!

3 performances only:
Dec 8, 9 @ 8pm, savoury and sweet holiday refreshments, cash wine bar
Dec 10 @ 2pm matinee (no bar), holiday desserts, coffee, tea, punch